Category Archives: Scouts

For those of you who were unaware, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the first ever scout camp, held on Brownsea Island in August 1907. As part of the celebrations the World Scout Jamboree is being held in the UK at Hylands Park near Chelmsford. We went up last Thursday to do 4 days work as part of the Jamboree Build Team who started work at the end of June, and some of them won’t finish until mid-August.

Apart from Thursday, the rain held off for most of the weekend, although Friday was very windy. I ended up running the registration office for several days, spent a day working in catering, and one other day working in the warehouse unboxing 200 or so festival tents. I never want to see another one of those ever again.

After a week at scout camp, it was nice to return to civilisation and be able to have a shower and clean myself properly of a weeks worth of accumulated grime. Camp went reasonably well. The weather wasn’t great until today, and we had rivers of water running through the camp during one rather heavy downpour, but the scouts seemed to enjoy it, despite the Ticks (Tim had 11), and the cooking (they claimed the Army 24 hour ration packs were nicer). All that remains now it to pack everything away, and work my way through the mountain of washing accumulated over the last week. Sleeping in a proper bed tonight will be a nice luxury after a week of sleeping bags and airbeds.

Whilst I was away, the council saw fit to paint a selection of white lines in the parking bay near the house to delineate the spaces. Quite why they felt this to be necessary I don’t know. We’ve coped perfectly well without the lines in the 8 years or so that I’ve been living here, and no doubt for many years before that.

I’m attempting to pack for scout camp at the moment, but can’t escape the paranoid thought that no matter what I do, I’ll leave something vitally important at home. I keep wandering round and throwing various things into rucksacks or kit bags, hoping that by the time I leave there will be sufficient stuff in there to last me a week.

I managed to do what I hope was the last of my kit shopping last weekend, ending up with a new 30L Deuter rucksack, along with a couple of metal bottles for holding meths and stuff. The vital shopping for chocolate, crisps, and alcohol, was done after work tonight.

Having not done a full weeks camp for 12 years or so, I’m planning to camp in luxury this year. There will be a 4-man tent just for myself, along with table, chairs, espresso pot, air bed, all the trimmings. All being well it will allow me to get to the end of the week with mind and body still vaguely intact.

Shame the weather looks like it’s going to be shit though.